Ryan Joseph Braun is an American baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). While currently the starting left fielder for the Brewers, Braun has also played right field during his career and was also a third baseman during his rookie season.

Braun was a two-time All-American at the University of Miami, where he was named “National Freshman of the Year” by Baseball America in 2003. The Brewers drafted him in the first round (5th overall) in the 2005 MLB draft. He was the team’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2006.

Braun is thought about a five-tool player for his ability to hit for power and average, his baserunning speed, and his exceptional fielding and arm strength. He was ranked number 7 by the Sporting News in its 2012 list of the 50 greatest existing players in baseball. He was granted the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 2007, has won 5 Silver Slugger awards (2008– 12), and won the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2011. He was named to 5 straight All-Star games (2008– 12), and after that a team-high sixth game in 2015. Braun has led the NL 3 times in slugging percentage (in 2007, while setting the big league rookie record, 2011, and 2012), 3 times in extra-base hits (2008, 2011– 12), and once each in hits (2009), home runs (2012), and runs (2012). On defense, he led all big league outfielders in fielding percentage in 2008, led NL left fielders in fielding percentage twice (2009 and 2011), and led NL left fielders in range consider 2009 and 2012. His 128 home runs through 2010 were the 8th-most by any major leaguer ever through their first four seasons. Through 2015, he was sixth among all active ballplayers in career slugging percentage, and third among active left fielders in career fielding percentage.

Braun came under scrutiny for a testosterone test that he stopped working in 2011, and then for his connection in 2012 to the Biogenesis of America center that provided performance-enhancing drugs to professional baseball players. After MLB’s investigation following the Biogenesis scandal, on July 22, 2013, Braun was suspended without spend for the rest of the 2013 season and playoffs (amounting to 65 regular season games) for breaking the league’s drug policy. The two seasons following Braun’s return from the suspension saw his career-lows for complete seasons in the big leagues in regards to hits, batting average, RBI and home runs, before he rebounded in 2016.